Warmest weather since last fall building across Northeast
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Mar 11, 2021 3:22 PM EDT
Drivers across Texas and much of the country are dodging new potholes from February’s winter storms and deep freeze.
The warmest weather in months -- since last November in many locations -- began building across the northeastern United States Tuesday. The springlike pattern will last into Friday and offer plenty of sunshine for those hoping to soak up the milder weather and see any remaining snow from the big storm a month ago melt away.
"For millions in the Northeast, with barely a handful of mild days thus far, an outbreak of spring fever is likely with temperatures forecast to climb into the 50s, 60s and 70s F," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
A daily temperature record set 142 years ago was broken on Wednesday when Erie, Pennsylvania, topped out at 72 F, one of several new daily records being set across the region.
However, there will be some localized fluctuation in temperature in coastal areas related to a cool breeze from the ocean at times.
"Any time there is a breeze off the water in the spring and early summer, temperatures can really be held back," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said.
This map shows a snapshot of temperatures at 3 p.m. EST, Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AccuWeather)
For example, in New York City, following a high of 64 on Tuesday, a breeze off the ocean held temperature to no higher than the middle 50s on Wednesday.
"Winds will flip around to more of a south to southwest direction later in the week in New York City and highs are projected to near 70 on Thursday and at least the middle 60s on Friday," Dombek said.
The daily record high of 73 for March 11, set in 1977, may be challenged in the Big Apple Thursday. To put that record in perspective, the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope, debuted that year in late May.
Up until Tuesday, the warmest New York City had been in 2021 was 54 back on Feb. 24 -- and the last time the city recorded a temperature above 60 F was on Christmas Day when the high reached 61.
And with the level of warmth forecast in the Northeast this week, the highest temperatures since early November are predicted in many cases.
Philadelphia's high is expected to be in the lower 70s Thursday and could approach the record high of 72 set back in 1977. The last time the City of Brotherly Love recorded a high above 70 was back on Nov. 11, 2020.
Many other cities in the Northeast are expected to challenge record highs on Thursday, including Baltimore; Boston; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Worcester, Massachusetts.
Temperatures are expected to climb into the middle to upper 70s in much of Virginia Thursday. The record of 78 set in 2009 could be challenged in Washington, D.C. Prior to reaching 73 degrees on Wednesday, the temperature in the nation's capital hadn't climbed above 70 degrees since a high of 71 degrees was recorded on Nov. 15, 2020.
Needless to say, it may be warm enough for many Americans to open up windows and let some fresh air in, and many may want to spend some time outdoors to enjoy the warmth, while taking precautions against COVID-19. Forecasters say the weather will offer opportunities for soaking up some sunshine without heavy winter gear -- and some may even be comfortable with shorts and short sleeves.
While the warmth may tempt people to partake in springtime activities outdoors, meteorologists have one recommendation for those who live in coastal areas: think twice before sticking their toes in the surf along the Atlantic Seaboard. Water temperatures were in the 30s off the New England coast and in the 40s off the mid-Atlantic coast as of Tuesday -- which are close to normal for this time of the season.
Sunshine with warm and windy conditions may raise some trouble, however.
"Before the landscape greens up in the spring, dead grass and leaves can become fuel that easily combusts during warm and windy conditions," Dombek said.
People should use caution with outdoor power equipment, grills and open flames to reduce the risk of igniting a brush fire.
In much of the Southeast, high temperatures are forecast to be in the 70s and can approach 80 in some cases during the middle and latter part of this week. High temperature marks for the year so far of 76 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and 79 in Atlanta set on Feb. 28 could be topped.
All good things must come to an end, and March will live up to its reputation as being a very "moody" month in terms of weather. Colder air is forecast to sweep across the Upper Midwest Thursday into Friday and overtake the Northeast during Friday night.
Those heading outside this weekend may need to bundle up with long sleeves and a heavy fleece or winter jacket.
Saturday is expected to be noticeably colder across the Northeast, but not nearly as harsh as last weekend in most areas. Temperatures are likely to be slashed by 15-30 degrees from Friday's highs. On Saturday, highs are forecast to range near 32 in northern Maine to the upper 50s in southeastern Virginia. Despite the snap back to colder weather, temperatures Saturday will be close to seasonable averages.
Still, very blustery and cold conditions are in store for much of New York state and New England.
"Gusts in New England will frequent 40 mph and can even approach 50 mph," Anderson said.
Even though less wind will be in store for the central Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic Saturday, compared to New England, a definitive chill will be in the air for those spending time outdoors, especially during the morning or evening hours.
A gusty wind can result in AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures ranging from the lower teens across the northern tier to lower 30s near the Chesapeake Bay during the middle of the afternoon even with some sunshine expected Saturday.
Less wind is likely Sunday, but a breeze will still add some chill and temperatures are likely to peak an average of 5-10 degrees lower than Saturday's highs.
Some spotty snow showers could even occur across parts of New England, New York state and northern Pennsylvania, adding to the wintry feel this weekend. However, aside from a few snow showers in parts of the Northeast, snowstorms should stay away for the time being, unlike what is shaping up to be a major, multiple-day giant snowstorm for areas farther west across the country, centered around Colorado.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather Forecasts
Warmest weather since last fall building across Northeast
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Mar 11, 2021 3:22 PM EDT
Drivers across Texas and much of the country are dodging new potholes from February’s winter storms and deep freeze.
The warmest weather in months -- since last November in many locations -- began building across the northeastern United States Tuesday. The springlike pattern will last into Friday and offer plenty of sunshine for those hoping to soak up the milder weather and see any remaining snow from the big storm a month ago melt away.
"For millions in the Northeast, with barely a handful of mild days thus far, an outbreak of spring fever is likely with temperatures forecast to climb into the 50s, 60s and 70s F," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
A daily temperature record set 142 years ago was broken on Wednesday when Erie, Pennsylvania, topped out at 72 F, one of several new daily records being set across the region.
However, there will be some localized fluctuation in temperature in coastal areas related to a cool breeze from the ocean at times.
"Any time there is a breeze off the water in the spring and early summer, temperatures can really be held back," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said.
This map shows a snapshot of temperatures at 3 p.m. EST, Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AccuWeather)
For example, in New York City, following a high of 64 on Tuesday, a breeze off the ocean held temperature to no higher than the middle 50s on Wednesday.
"Winds will flip around to more of a south to southwest direction later in the week in New York City and highs are projected to near 70 on Thursday and at least the middle 60s on Friday," Dombek said.
The daily record high of 73 for March 11, set in 1977, may be challenged in the Big Apple Thursday. To put that record in perspective, the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope, debuted that year in late May.
Up until Tuesday, the warmest New York City had been in 2021 was 54 back on Feb. 24 -- and the last time the city recorded a temperature above 60 F was on Christmas Day when the high reached 61.
And with the level of warmth forecast in the Northeast this week, the highest temperatures since early November are predicted in many cases.
Philadelphia's high is expected to be in the lower 70s Thursday and could approach the record high of 72 set back in 1977. The last time the City of Brotherly Love recorded a high above 70 was back on Nov. 11, 2020.
Many other cities in the Northeast are expected to challenge record highs on Thursday, including Baltimore; Boston; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Worcester, Massachusetts.
Temperatures are expected to climb into the middle to upper 70s in much of Virginia Thursday. The record of 78 set in 2009 could be challenged in Washington, D.C. Prior to reaching 73 degrees on Wednesday, the temperature in the nation's capital hadn't climbed above 70 degrees since a high of 71 degrees was recorded on Nov. 15, 2020.
Needless to say, it may be warm enough for many Americans to open up windows and let some fresh air in, and many may want to spend some time outdoors to enjoy the warmth, while taking precautions against COVID-19. Forecasters say the weather will offer opportunities for soaking up some sunshine without heavy winter gear -- and some may even be comfortable with shorts and short sleeves.
While the warmth may tempt people to partake in springtime activities outdoors, meteorologists have one recommendation for those who live in coastal areas: think twice before sticking their toes in the surf along the Atlantic Seaboard. Water temperatures were in the 30s off the New England coast and in the 40s off the mid-Atlantic coast as of Tuesday -- which are close to normal for this time of the season.
Sunshine with warm and windy conditions may raise some trouble, however.
"Before the landscape greens up in the spring, dead grass and leaves can become fuel that easily combusts during warm and windy conditions," Dombek said.
People should use caution with outdoor power equipment, grills and open flames to reduce the risk of igniting a brush fire.
In much of the Southeast, high temperatures are forecast to be in the 70s and can approach 80 in some cases during the middle and latter part of this week. High temperature marks for the year so far of 76 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and 79 in Atlanta set on Feb. 28 could be topped.
All good things must come to an end, and March will live up to its reputation as being a very "moody" month in terms of weather. Colder air is forecast to sweep across the Upper Midwest Thursday into Friday and overtake the Northeast during Friday night.
Those heading outside this weekend may need to bundle up with long sleeves and a heavy fleece or winter jacket.
Saturday is expected to be noticeably colder across the Northeast, but not nearly as harsh as last weekend in most areas. Temperatures are likely to be slashed by 15-30 degrees from Friday's highs. On Saturday, highs are forecast to range near 32 in northern Maine to the upper 50s in southeastern Virginia. Despite the snap back to colder weather, temperatures Saturday will be close to seasonable averages.
Still, very blustery and cold conditions are in store for much of New York state and New England.
"Gusts in New England will frequent 40 mph and can even approach 50 mph," Anderson said.
Even though less wind will be in store for the central Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic Saturday, compared to New England, a definitive chill will be in the air for those spending time outdoors, especially during the morning or evening hours.
A gusty wind can result in AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures ranging from the lower teens across the northern tier to lower 30s near the Chesapeake Bay during the middle of the afternoon even with some sunshine expected Saturday.
Less wind is likely Sunday, but a breeze will still add some chill and temperatures are likely to peak an average of 5-10 degrees lower than Saturday's highs.
Some spotty snow showers could even occur across parts of New England, New York state and northern Pennsylvania, adding to the wintry feel this weekend. However, aside from a few snow showers in parts of the Northeast, snowstorms should stay away for the time being, unlike what is shaping up to be a major, multiple-day giant snowstorm for areas farther west across the country, centered around Colorado.
Related:
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo